Human condition
The human condition encompasses the fundamental experiences that characterize human existence, including physical, mental, and emotional dimensions. It involves universal experiences such as birth, growth, pain, and death, as well as a wide spectrum of feelings like happiness, ambition, anger, and despair. This concept is complex and does not have a single, definitive meaning, as it reflects the contradictory nature of human life and the shared experiences across different cultures and societies. The human condition has been a focal point of inquiry in various academic disciplines—ranging from philosophy and religion to psychology, literature, and biology.
Throughout history, numerous thinkers, including philosophers like Plato and Descartes, have explored these themes, leading to significant insights into justice, identity, and the nature of existence. Theories such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Erikson's identity crisis address the motivations and psychological challenges individuals face in their quest for meaning. Additionally, religious interpretations, such as those found in Buddhism and Christianity, offer unique perspectives on life’s cyclical nature and the potential for redemption. This rich tapestry of inquiry continues to inspire discussions about what it means to be human, reflecting both the struggles and aspirations inherent in the human experience.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Human condition
The human condition refers to a set of essential experiences that define human existence. Such experiences can be physical, mental, and emotional. Physical experiences include birth, growth, pain, and death. Mental and emotional experiences may include a range of human feelings such as happiness, hope, sadness, conflict, ambition, anger, and despair. The concept of the human condition is a very broad topic with no single determined meaning. Many assessments of the concept often highlight the dichotomous nature of human existence, noting that humans tend to possess contradictory qualities while noting the universality of certain experiences. The human condition has been examined within a number of academic disciplines including philosophy, religion, art, history, literature, psychology, biology, and anthropology. The concept has been the subject of works by writers, poets, scholars, scientists, philosophers, historians, and other field experts.
Background
The human condition has been a subject of study for many centuries. The concept was first considered through religion. Each major religion held a number of distinctive beliefs about what comprised the human experience. Among Buddhists, life is considered a cyclical experience in which every human is born, suffers, dies, and is reborn. The only way to end this cycle of rebirth and suffering is to follow what is known as the Noble Eightfold Path, a series of eight practices designed to eliminate a person’s ignorance and lead him or her to enlightenment. Christianity, on the other hand, teaches its followers that humans are born into sin and can only be redeemed through the salvation of the lord and savior Jesus Christ, the son of God. Salvation refers to being saved from death and a separation from God. Redemption is achieved through holy sacraments such as baptism and penance.
Alongside theological perspectives, a number of philosophers also had their own take on the human condition. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato explored the human experience in his seminal work the Republic. The book is a Socratic dialogue centered on the idea of justice. In the Republic, Socrates discusses the meaning of justice with a group of colleagues, weighing the merit of the current justice system and entertaining the possibility of new avenues for justice. The book also examines the idea of a utopian society, or an ideal community with perfect laws, government, and social conditions. Along the way, Socrates and his group of friends assess the human capacity for justice given the current state of the human condition.
Philosophers continued to grapple with the idea of the human condition for centuries. Sixteenth-century French philosopher René Descartes, often considered the father of modern philosophy, believed that the human mind was the bearer of truth due to its reasoning power. His famous quote “I think, therefore I am” postulated that because humans are capable of doubting their own existence, they must therefore exist. Such an act was proof of the reality of the mind because thought could only exist if a mind, or self, existed to think those thoughts. Descartes cultivated a new theory of knowledge that challenged the philosophy of radical skepticism that had emerged during this period. His work became a fundamental aspect of Western philosophy over the years and gave rise to modern philosophies such as existentialism, a school of thought that meditates on humanity’s sense of disorientation within an apparently meaningless universe. In 1958, German existentialist philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote the book The Human Condition, which examines how human actions have been perceived throughout history and the impact these actions have had on the course of the world. She also posits her own notions about what such actions should mean.
Overview
The human condition is further examined in multiple areas of academia including literature, biology, and psychology. Authors and poets throughout history have wondered at the meaning of human existence, examining the positives and negatives of being human such as birth, growth, love, and death. Literature has often contemplated the transient nature of humanity and how to lead a full life in the face of such finiteness.
In the field of biology, the human condition takes on a more literal sense. English biologist Charles Darwin, who developed the biological theory of evolution, believed that his work proved that all humans were related to each other ancestrally. His work introduced to the world the concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Such notions fundamentally changed how the scientific community understood humanity. The theory also had an impact on other academic fields such as sociology and philosophy, which factored theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest into new ideas about society and human motivation.
On a psychological level, the human condition has been discussed in relation to a number of social theories. One example is Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, first revealed in his 1940s paper “A Theory of Human Motivation.” This theory focused on Maslow’s observations regarding human developmental psychology and attempted to classify universal human needs into five essential motivations: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
“Identity crisis” is another concept related to the human condition as it relates to psychological development. This term was coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson as a way to describe individuals who feel that they have not achieved a semblance of an identity by a certain age. This identity refers to a solid understanding of who they are, what they want to do, and where they belong. Maslow and Erikson’s theories revolve around a quest for what many refer to as “the meaning of life.” Such theories have led to the creation of mental health treatment programs designed to inspire meaning in an individual’s life, especially those who suffer from issues such as anxiety and depression.
Bibliography
Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. University of Chicago Press, 2018.
Burton, Neel. "Our Hierarchy of Needs." Psychology Today,23, May 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/our-hierarchy-needs. Accessed 24 June 2019.
“Darwinism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 26 May 2015, plato plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/. Accessed 24 June 2019.
Emba, Christine. “Will Technology Allow Us to Transcend the Human Condition?” Washington Post, 16 May 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/05/16/will-technology-allow-us-to-transcend-the-human-condition/?noredirect=on&utm‗term=.a5ad6575b81f. Accessed 24 June 2019.
Firestone, Robert W. “The Human Experience.” Psychology Today, 19 Dec. 2008, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-experience/200812/the-human-experience. Accessed 24 June 2019.
“How is the human condition understood in the religion?” ExploreFaith.org, old.explorefaith.org/neighbors/beliefs/cond‗c.html. Accessed 24 June 2019.
“The Human Condition.” Duke University Department of Sociology, www.soc.duke.edu/~jmoody77/TheoryNotes/arendt1.htm. Accessed 24 June 2019.
“The Human Condition in Literature.” Study.com, 2019, study.com/academy/lesson/the-human-condition-in-literature.html. Accessed 24 June 2019.
“Plato’s Ethics and Politics in The Republic.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,12 Sept. 2017, plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/. Accessed 24 June 2019.
Russell, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy. Psychology Press, 2004.